Redd

Maybe it is just my imagination and the coming of real winter...but I'm Real Damn Sure that since the "it will catch on fire" heater reprogramming recall for the auxiliary preheater? Damn, I needed to keep my jacket zipper up this morning. No warm and toasty feeling until a few minutes had passed. I can deal with that, it just isn't what it was (so nice and toasty IMMEDIATELY) before the recall fix.

Those of you who haven't had it in for the recall...be warned. It is more like a traditional Detroit V8 now. A small V8. Not so toasty, nice, or warm so fast.

Or it could be just my 'magination...

DennisMitchell

My impression is that heating improved after the new heater element recall was done.

Redd

This was after both recalls were performed. The first one, which AFAIK was just programming, didn't seem to hurt anything. #2....

I'd better have my blood checked tomorrow, it might be anemia.(G)

Bob Petruska

Bob Petruska

I ran the temperature profile today. Both profiles were run with an ambient of 32 degrees F, temperature set at 75, fan speed - 7, temperature measured at top center vent, readings taken for 10 minutes, with engine idling (not driven).

Looks like there is a 35 degree reduction in temperature output after recoding. Now I have a variable that may have affected this. I ran the pre-coding profile last April, 2017, I did not have the coding done until August, 2017 so I couldn't run the profile anytime soon after post-coding until the ambient temp turned to 30 degrees in Nov/Dec and just forgot about it as my heater performance felt fine to my senses fine right after initial startup. Thus I have no post-coding heating history until now a year later, so did the new coding lower the electric grid max output temperature, or are the electric grid terminals corroding lowering the voltage across the gird resulting in lower heat output? I will never know until I run the heat profile test next year when the temps fall to 30 degrees in Nov/Dec to see if the terminals have increased corroding, and that's only if I still have the Q5 which could be unlikely. For my normal driving, after I start the Q5 I drive 200 feet to the main road and then climb a steep hill for about a half of a mile and by then the engine water is heating up quite well, so the electric grid does little for me.

Here are the temp profiles, heating element specs, and heating element activation ON/OFF conditions........

Redd

Wow, it will take me a while to grasp that, Bob.

Since the battery is just under 12.2 volts (12.17) that could be an issue, but in the real world the alternator is carrying the electrical load when the car is running above idle speed. So unless the charging system is faulty, that "should" not be an issue here.

Herr Docktor got new shoes and then an alignment, that ate up more time this week and was a priority over the battery. Since the main job of the battery is to provide what, maybe 1.5kW of power for three seconds to start the car, then turn it over to the alternator? And of course, power the security/entry system when the engine is off.

The new Michelins are definitely a firmer ride, but I'm quite willing to trade the OEM "air ride" for A/A traction and triple the tread life. Are your tires still OEM? Getting bald yet?

Bob Petruska

Well if you look at my temp profiles, and if my grid terminals are not corroding, then it definitely looks like the Q5 new coding reduced the electric grid heat output by 35 degrees F in the first 10 minutes of operation.

Do you see that the generator load needs to be less than 30 - 77% for the grid to turn on? With a weak battery, after starting the generator load could be high trying to feed a bad battery. You can check that with VCDS and plot in VCDS your generator output when you learn how to use VCDS efficiently....<G>! Plus as I stated above you have no idea if your vent doors were put back properly, and calibrated. There was a post here or elsewhere stating that he felt more cold air than normal, and the dealer had to rip his Q5 apart again and fix the vent doors. And who knows if the new grid itself was redesigned to pull less current with reduced heat output, just so many variables...........

Your Michelins need to break the sidewalls/belts in, in few K miles the ride will definitely be softer. Did you check the pressure as the tire guys like to way overinflate? What model did you get?

My Q5 came with Continental Sport LX tires ( I made the dealer make sure that brand was on), and they are still on my Q5, and look like new, deep tread yet. They will last the life of my Q5 even if I keep it 10 years at the rate of less than 3K miles driven per year.

MurrayA4

Yes that true about the Michelins, they do have a break in period and the differences can be felt.
My 14 Tdi came with Goodyears LT....something.I wasn't expecting much but they were quite good.Went 80k kms/50k mls.till 3/32 s and they were a competent touring tire.Came replacement time and I price checked them and woah are they pricy in Canada, where they're probably made, NS.Went with Bridgestones and I'm entirely satisfied.Excellent tire and <$$.

Redd

Michellin..Premier, not the OEM version. The Dunlop OEMs that came on the car wore out like cheap tube socks. They were rated 200 treadwear, compared to 660 on the new ones. 200? Really?

They set three of them to 34-35 psi and I took them all down to 34 (high but don't they always leak down) and then of course, the little digital gauge said "0.0" three times on the fourth tire. I gave up, I'll check again next week. I know, they'll settle in after some miles.

Bob Petruska

When I ordered my 2014 Q5 the only tires from the factory where the Conti's, Dunlop, and Michelins. The Conti's had the best reviews for handling performance, which I wanted as I'm a spirited driver pushing it in the twisties.
I told the dealer don't call me to pickup the Q5 unless the Conti's are on it even if that means removing them from another Q5. He called and said it came in with the Conti's.